Friday, August 7, 2015

Old Dominion Monarchs Season Preview

The Monarchs won each of their final three games in 2014 on the final play to finish their first season at the FBS level with at 6-6 record.

Running back Ray Lawry earned C-USA Freshman of the Year honors after rushing for an ODU single-season record 947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He led all league freshman backs with a school-record 7.1 yards per carry and tied for third in C-USA with 16 rushing TDs.

Quarterback Taylor Heinicke is gone after a spectacular four-year career in which he passed for 14,959 yards and tossed 132 touchdown passes. Two players are in the running to replace the record-setting signal-caller. Shuler Bentley redshirted in 2014 sitting after a standout career at Byrnes High School in South Carolina. A USA Today Parade All-American and two-time South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, Bentley has a year of fall practice and off-season training under his belt. Sophomore Joey Verhaegh comes in from Fullerton CC after throwing for 2,515 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sophomore. Verhaegh and Bentley will compete in the first ODU quarterback competition in spring football since Thomas DeMarco won the job in 2009.

Senior David Washington was Heinicke’s backup in 2013 and 2014, but added another role in 2014: starting wide receiver. The redshirt junior caught 47 passes for 599 yards and four touchdowns and the game-winning touchdown in the overtime thriller against Louisiana Tech. The plan is for Washington to stay at wide receiver but take some snaps at quarterback.